This invention relates to systems for firearm security and control.
Firearms, since their earliest origin, have been valuable property. As such, there has always been a risk of loss by theft. Because of the gun's valuable nature, it has been and continues to be a target for theft. Many limited production, custom made, or highly engraved weapons, have price tags in the thousands of dollars. Typical sporting or personal weapons cost in the hundreds. It is not uncommon for a sporting enthusiast to own six or more weapons. Firearm dealers, on the other hand, may have hundreds of weapons in inventory. Security branches of local, state and hational governments own hundreds of weapons of all kinds for protection of the public. All firearm owners have the same problem of how to secure and control the unauthorized access to these firearms.
Previous efforts have been made to solve the problem of providing adequate firearm security. Early attempts included the gun cabinet, which is usually made of wood or a wood substitute, and glass. The glass provides windows in the cabinet doors, so that an owner can see his guns. Often the doors lock with a key, so that access by children is prevented. The gun cabinet is a piece of furniture, but is not much help against thefts, since access to the guns can be easily and quickly accomplished.
Another common security device is a locking gun rack, which is usually made of wood and light duty metal parts. The rack hangs on a wall and accommodates long guns in a horizontal fashion. Various retaining devices are used, which may lock all guns to the rack or individually lock single guns. Often, only one end of the gun is retained to the rack. The shortcomings of such devices include that the attachment is usually light duty and the thief merely has to remove the rack with the guns and later effectuate removal of the guns from the rack.
Security chests or safes made of heavy duty material, which can accommodate both long guns and handguns are satisfactory for security, but they suffer from shortcomings including that the weapons are not on display, the device is bulky, and moisture problems may develop within the enclosure.
Other existing devices include steel cable or chain threaded through the trigger guards of the weapons and padlocked to the gun rack or cabinet.
Alarm systems are also available, which would use an electric wire passed through the gun trigger guard, which if cut or broken triggers an alarm.
The slip-together methods of providing security include broad-ended pins passing through the trigger guard and being detachably fastened to rack devices, or bands or clamping means completely surrounding the stock or barrel of a long gun. Examples of the trigger guard locking pin devices are found in Worswick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,453, and Diebold, U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,274. A device utilizing a flat band to surround a gun stock is shown in Townsend, U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,491.